Saving the Future
Chapter 21: Hogsmeade Disaster
Hermione hadn't left the Castle other than for brief walks around the lake since she was hurt, so the fact that she was currently walking around Hogsmeade with the rest of the students; although primarily with her mother and Severus as they were stocking up on some things in preparation for the summer holidays which were due to begin in just less than a week; was incredibly freeing. OWLs, and other exams, were over, students were excited to be spending the weekend before the end of the year traipsing around Hogsmeade buying sweets and whatever else they fancied. She was going to have a baby brother in about five weeks. Plans were being finalised to grab the last two Horcruxes.
All was coming together rather nicely.
She was rather upset that Sirius couldn't be there with them, though. He had a flare up of pain that morning and didn't feel like getting out of bed, but he told her to go get some fresh air. She promised him some sweets and other bits, but she still felt bad for leaving him in the Castle with no one but her dad for company.
Her and Severus were sitting at a table in The Hogshead whilst their mother was at the bar ordering what they wanted and talking to Aberforth.
"So, erm, Remus and I had sex," Severus whispered, so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear it.
But she did and her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, "What? When?"
"Three weeks ago," he said, blushing slightly.
"And you're only telling me now," she said, her eyes widening even more as something crossed her mind, "Wait, are you only telling me now because there is something else you need to tell me?"
Severus' eyes widened in shock and his cheeks turned even redder, "What? No… I think. I don't feel any different, anyway. I am telling you now because the last few weeks have been a tad busy, you know, with OWLs and such. Plus we haven't been alone in weeks," he was fiddling with his fingers.
"How was it?" Hermione asked, grinning slightly as his lips twitched up at the sides and he ducked his head, light in his eyes.
"It was great," he said softly.
Hermione smiled at him, "Are you going to do it again? Have you done it again? Are you doing okay? Is he treating you right? Did he treat you right whilst you were doing it?"
"Hopefully. Not yet, been too busy. Yes, I think, maybe. Definitely. Yes," Severus said, lifting his head up and looking at her with happiness in his eyes.
"Good," Hermione nodded, "And he'll stick by you, no matter what happens?"
"He says he will, and I am trying to believe him. I am trying to trust people," Severus said.
Hermione nodded again, then she smiled over at their mother who was levitating a tray containing their food and drinks over to their table, smiling at them both brightly. Severus smiled over at Minerva, too.
"Mum, you should have let one of us do that," Hermione said quietly as Minerva sat in the empty chair and lowered the tray gently onto the table.
"Nonsense, I am fine. I think you both have done plenty enough over the last few weeks, it is time for you both to rest up," Minerva said, smiling softly at them both.
BOOM!
They were flying backwards, landing hard on the floor, crashing into walls.
Hermione's ears were ringing as she opened her eyes and looked around the pub to find smoke filling the air, mild flames, too, glass was all over the floor, along with everyone was in the pub when it blew up.
She looked around worriedly, trying to find her mother and Severus. Desperate to find them. And thankfully they were both near her.
She crawled over to her mum, her whole body hurting, but she pushed aside her pain in the hopes that her mum was okay.
Please, let her be okay.
Hermione stopped next to the curled up body of her mum and gently shook her shoulders.
"Mum," Hermione said, concern dripping from her voice as she felt Severus crawl up beside her.
Hermione looked at her brother worriedly.
"I'm fine," Severus said.
And though Hermione could see a number of minor cuts on him she nodded, turning her attention back to their mother who was curled around her stomach and breathing deeply, shakily as tears dripped down her cheeks.
"Mum, we need to get out of here, can you move?" Hermione said desperately.
She briefly looked around the room and saw others moving and not moving, people (students) desperately trying to find their friends and make sure they are okay.
"Mum, talk to us, please," Severus said, almost as desperate as Hermione was.
"I-I… can move," Minerva said shakily, opening her eyes and looking at the two of them with so much fear in her eyes that dread coursed through both of them.
"R-right, okay. Severus, help me get her up. There is a back exit we should be able to get through," Hermione said, trying to hide the shaking in her voice.
The two of them gently help Minerva to stand as sounds of a fight drift in from outside the front of the pub. Minerva hunched over as they supported her, and let out a low groan of pain which made Hermione and Severus look at each other in fear.
"Mum," Hermione said worriedly as she held Minerva up around her waist.
"Hermione, we need to get back to Hogwarts. To Poppy," Severus said, an attempt at sternness in his voice.
Hermione nodded, and when their mother was able to stand a bit straighter and grip their hands they started slowly leading her out of the pub. She didn't know how they made it out the back of the pub, and to be completely honest, she didn't care so long as they could get back to the castle.
Minerva hunched over again, gripping their hands tightly as she stifled a groan as best as she could.
"Mum, can you… can you feel the baby move?" Hermione whispered painfully, "Are you in labour?" she didn't want to know the answers to those questions, but she needed to know.
She needed to know.
"I don't know," Minerva said hoarsely.
Hermione's heart clenched in pain as she shared another look with Severus.
"Are you hurt anywhere else? Hermione, where are you hurt?" Severus said, concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine," Minerva ground out, "Just get me to the castle, please,"
"Okay, mum, we'll get you to the castle," Severus said, taking out his wand and using the point me spell so that they could follow it through the forest to the castle.
It was slow going. They could hear a battle. They could hear screams, and cries, and shouts getting quieter behind them as they moved. Hermione felt bad that they had had to leave everyone behind. But she had to get her mum to Poppy.
Maybe then everything would be okay.
They stopped more times than they cared to admit as Minerva tried to breathe through the pain in her stomach. Hermione tried not to let the worry overcome her. The fear. The pain. She tried to focus on what they had to do. On where they had to get. But it was hard when this all consuming fear filled her. Fear for her mother, her baby brother, and everyone in Hogsmeade right now.
And then her mum's knees gave out on her with a particularly bad… pain, and the three of them were on the floor, somewhere in the forest, with little hope of getting back there any time soon.
"I'll send out my patronus," Severus muttered.
And all Hermione could do was nod as she tried to help her mum through the pain, tried to be comforting and yet not knowing what to do.
Why didn't she know what to do?
She always knew what to do.
She watched the doe wander off with a message for their father, but she couldn't focus on the message Severus had sent with her. Everything was rather overwhelming.
She could feel the pain of whatever had happened to her body in the explosion sinking in and she tried desperately to push it aside. Her mother needed her. Her baby brother needed her.
"Hermione, are you okay?" her mum said gently, though her voice was shaking.
Hermione looked up at her mum in shock, because she should be the one asking her mum that, not the other way around. She should be the one helping her mum through whatever was happening.
"I'm fine. How are you doing?" Hermione said weakly, internally berating herself at her question, because obviously her mum wasn't okay at the moment.
There was a chilling laugh filling the air and they all froze, fear filling them as they looked up and saw the Dark Lord grinning down at them from a few meters away.
"Isn't this sweet? Mother and children desperately trying, and failing, to escape the carnage in Hogsmeade. All clearly injured. One clearly… in labour. Hm, Minnie, I didn't think you had it in you, really. I mean marrying Dumbledore of all people, you deserve better than him, surely. And letting me find out through Peter Pettigrew of all people," the man tutted, shaking his head with a disappointed expression on his face.
"I didn't believe it was any of your business, Tom," Minerva bit out, her breaths deep.
"Hm, I suppose it isn't. It is interesting though. I mean, why are you interested in someone so much older than you? So much nastier, too. I mean, he sends children back to their homes to be abused, doesn't he? Rather than helping them like a man with his amount of power and influence should be able to do quite easily. And yet you want him to be the father of your own children? One of whom is, in fact, a victim of abuse if what I have heard is true. One is to be born in the next few hours or so. And the other…" he grinned at Hermione with dark eyes full of interest, and questions, and other things she couldn't quite place, "Well, the other is apparently a seer. A seer who knows how to kill me. And yet, a seer who hasn't given a prophecy that anyone knows of. A seer who doesn't even take Divination,"
"I don't see the point in learning how to do something I can already do naturally. I'd much rather put my efforts into learning things I don't already know," Hermione said, trying to make her voice sound strong but she was feeling rather weak, and pained, and just… everything.
His lips twitched up at the sides, "Indeed. Education is important. Learning everything you can about magic, about the world, about life. If you already know something, then why let that take up your time when you can focus on expanding your knowledge elsewhere… Or you aren't actually a seer, and you are lying about knowing how to kill me, because you can't possibly know. No one knows. But you said you do to get in with Dumbledore, for protection, for access to the library in Hogwarts. Or you aren't a seer, you do know how to kill me, and I need to find out who you are and how you know. Then kill you, perhaps slowly and painfully, so that you can't do it,"
She felt her mum squeeze her hand tightly, and based on the pain in her eyes, the gritting of her teeth, and how hunched over she was, Hermione knew that it was another… pain coursing through her body.
"Oh, another contraction, Minnie?" Tom grinned, "I do hope your baby is okay. It would be a shame to lose another magical life. Especially one as powerful as a child from you and Albus Dumbledore would be,"
"Fuck… off," Minerva snarled between breaths, tears leaking down her cheeks.
"What do you want with us?" Severus said.
"Oh, nothing really, I just thought I would let my Death Eaters do all the hard work for me and keep you all company for a little while. I also would very much like some private… talks with Hermione. But only if that is okay with all of you, of course. Wouldn't want to kill her or anything. I need answers," Tom said.
"You are not… taking my daughter," Minerva said, attempting to remain stern but her heavy breathing, and the tears she tried not to let fall as her stomach clenched in pain dampened the sternness.
"I don't think you are in a good enough shape to stop me, Minnie. I don't think any of you are. I think the explosion did a really good job at weakening all of you. But, if you do want to try and fight me on this, then please do. I am sure it will be rather entertaining, and Merlin knows I am really lacking in the entertainment department. Having a bunch of idiots for Death Eaters is really just annoying," Tom said, sounding bored.
"If I come with you, will you leave Severus and mum alone?" Hermione said, trying to sound strong, but really she was just resigned to everything.
"Hermione, no," Minerva said, face twisted in too many kinds of pain as she looked at her daughter.
"Of course, I will," Tom said, smiling slightly.
Hermione nodded and moved to stand, only for Severus to hold onto her arm.
"Hermione, you can't truly believe him," Severus said desperately.
Hermione just looked at him with knowing eyes.
"I need to go, Sev. I need to give you both the best chance of getting away. You need to get mum to the castle," Hermione whispered, just as desperately.
"No, Hermione, please," Minerva muttered.
Hermione wrenched her arm out of Severus' grip and stood on shaky legs, slowly making her way over to the Dark Lord, doing her best to ignore the pain thrumming through her body.
The Dark Lord grinned at her and raised a cold hand to her cheek, somehow gently stroking under her eye with his thumb.
"You're brave. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given that you are in the House of the Lions," Tom said.
There was a crunch of leaves nearby and Tom moved quickly to grab Hermione round her shoulder, spin her, and bring her back against his chest, his arm holding her firmly across her shoulders and his wand digging into her neck as they turned to find her dad standing there, looking at the scene in alarm.
"Tom, let go of my daughter," Albus said.
"I don't think so, old man. I have some questions for her and I would much rather do that in the privacy of a cell than in the middle of a forest. Much more comfortable, don't you think?" Tom said, grinning at Albus, "I need to know if the rumours about her are true. I need to know if she knows how to kill me. If she has told you and your precious Order how. And I believe I can produce those answers from her, but only if I take her home with me. So, it is either I take her with me now, and you might get her back one day. Though I can't promise in what condition she will return. Or, I kill her, your wife, your son and your unborn child, right here, right now. After tying you up of course, I would hate for you to miss all the action,"
"Dad, it's fine. I can go with him. Just… make sure mum is okay," Hermione said bravely.
"Hermione, I promised your parents I would protect you," Albus said, swallowing thickly.
"I know. And you have. This is my choice. I will go with him," Hermione said, "Mum and the baby are the priority right now. Get them to Poppy. Make sure they are okay. For me,"
"This is too sweet for me. I remember now that I have forgotten something. Severus, child, this is for not joining me… Avada Kedavra,"
It all happened so fast.
A flash of green light.
Identical screams.
And then everything was a blur as her and the Dark Lord apparated away.
She was thrown to the hard, stone floor of a cell, sobs wracking her body as she tried to catch her breath and stop her tears. A foot kicks her side and spreads pain through her already sore body.
A cackle rings through the air.
"Now that was fun, don't you agree?" Tom said, almost sounding happy, "I think I shall leave you alone for a little while, or maybe a long while. We'll see. I do hope you enjoy your stay. Know that you won't be here for long if you give me the answers I need. So if you have any sense of self-preservation, then you will tell me everything you know, or don't know. And I will need to check that what you tell me is the truth,"
Hermione couldn't pay much attention to what was being said.
All she could focus on was green light.
And her family.
Hiya, how are you all?
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am sorry for the late update, I was meant to get this out weeks ago but life has just been... not great, haha, and I just haven't felt up to writing much. I know this chapter might not be great, but it is something... I tried the hardest that I could, and I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry for the cliffhanger, I guess, haha. Hopefully I won't take quite as long to get out the next chapter, but we shall see what other disasters life has to throw at me over the next month or so.
Anywho, I posted an essay/petition where I (un)officially explain why I think I should be cast as my favourite character, Severus Snape, in the new HBO series, despite the fact that I am a woman. It would mean a lot if you went and read it, but no pressure. It isn't going to lead to anything, unless, by some miracle, it goes viral, but it was fun to write. It is on my AO3, Maraudering_Paige. Feel free to go and check it out.
Also, I am working on some Spotify playlists for my fanfics, so if you can think of any songs you think work with the stories as they are so far, or where you think they are going, or songs that give you the vibes you get from the stories, then please do let me know and I will give them a listen, then potentially add them to the playlists. If you would like to go and give them a listen as they are now then you can find me on Spotify under the name Maraudering_Paige. They aren't that long at the moment, but we are making progress and I will continue adding to them the more music I listen to and when I have the time to do so. But still, if you can think of any relevant songs then do let me know.
I have a Facebook group called Maraudering_Paige which you are all welcome to join if you would like to and are able to. It is where we can talk about Harry Potter, fanfics, life, share memes and more. It is also where I have somewhat of an update schedule for my fics and will be keeping you up to date on what I am working on, in regards to fanfics, original works, and more things. So if you are interested in joining then I am more than happy to accept you all.
I also now have a TikTok and an Instagram for my fanfic writing escapades. The username is maraudering_paige on both of them so feel free to follow me, and we shall see how often and what kinds of content I can post when I can. But it is another way for me to keep you all up to date if you don't have Facebook and such, and for me to spread the word about other things I am working on and things I want to do and such. So yeah, feel free to join me on those if you are able.
And finally, if you like poems, then I write them and I have started a where you can read 1 or more poems every month depending on how many I have the time to post. You also get access to information about my original books I am working on before anyone else. And you get your name listed in the acknowledgements section of any book I publish whilst you are a Patron. For as little as £1.11 (plus VAT) a month. If you would like to join me over there and read some rants I call poems, and get updates on original work, then you may. My username over there is Paige_Makepeace. No pressure, by the way, you certainly do not have to if you can't or don't want to. I understand. I just thought it would be a cool thing to try. Any money made from this will go towards helping me write and publish the original novels I am working on. Including the one I am hoping to publish first which is a slow-burn, witchy, bisexual/lesbian enemies to lovers book. You will also be able to read the first draft of the first chapter of my book, so, if you are interested in doing that then feel free to go and subscribe if you want to.
If there are any other platforms you think I should join you all on then let me know and I will have a think.
I hope you are having an amazing day!
Kind regards,
Paige xx
